During the first round of the NCAA Women’s tournament, Iowa State Cyclones erased a 20-point lead against the Maryland Terrapins and won 93-86. This comeback is the second-largest one in the history of NCAAW. During the win 6’3” Center Audi Crooks compiled 40 points and 12 rebounds. Former Lakers Center Shaquille O’Neal took to his IG stories and showed love to the Big 12 Conference Center.
Advertisement
Without adding additional text, the former Center shared a post from ESPN that depicted her incredible numbers.
Shaq appreciates Audi Crooks’ insane game pic.twitter.com/1CPUWJ8bks
— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) March 23, 2024
The original post had the caption, “IOWA STATE COMPLETES THE 20-POINT RALLY. It’s the second-largest comeback in women’s NCAA tournament history”. The post is a compilation of multiple images and videos. One of the graphics indicates the Cyclones’ being down 30-50 with 1:15 left in the second quarter.
Then it showed the final score of 93:86 in favor of the 7th-seeded squad. It also showed an incredible 18/20 shooting performance from the paint operator Audi Crooks. In one of the clips, the 6’3” Center grabs an offensive performance and powerfully finishes a putback.
View this post on Instagram
In another clip, she acquired a great low-post position and received the ball at the right spot to convert an easy inside bucket. In another video, similarly, she nabbed a strong post-position and then managed to create an and-one opportunity after a nifty lay-up. The compilation finishes with Audi Crooks surrounded by her teammates after a historic performance.
A record-breaking night for Crooks
During the historic night, the freshman from Iowa State Cyclones registered her name alongside Bill Walton in the NCAA record books. Her 40-point performance with 90% FG is only the second instance of a player scoring at least 40 points and securing 90% FG across men’s and women’s NCAA history.
During the 1973 NCAA Men’s Finals, Bill Walton had an unbelievable 44-point performance while shooting 21/22 from the floor. NCAA’s Most Oustanding Player of the Year led his UCLA to an 87-66 win over Memphis State.
As for Crooks and her Cyclones, the title game is a long way removed. They are now headed for a difficult Round of 32. The Cyclones will take on Stanford led by two-way phenom Cameron Brink. In their previous affair, the Cardinals registered a 79-50 win as Brink hoarded 17 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 blocks, and 1 steal to continue her amazing seaso
